100 Small, Nice Things to Do for Your Wife This Valentine’s Day

Because you can do a lot better than chocolate and grocery store flowers.

Valentine’s Day wasn’t always a Hallmark holiday. It has, however, at least since the Middle Ages, been a day on which people express affection toward one another. First, with written letters. Then, in the 1800s, with intricate valentines decorated with fine lace and flowers. And today, with overpriced cards that make unfunny jokes about getting naked. In fact, according to Hallmark, 144 million Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged each year ⏤ and that doesn’t include the millions of tiny Avengers cards handed out in classrooms.

But no matter how Valentine’s Day gifts or cards have changed over the centuries, the sentiment has never wavered. Valentine’s Day remains a day, no matter how commercial, to tell someone special in your life that you love and appreciate them. To verbalize the specifics of what is assumed and left unsaid. So, as you think of Valentine’s Day ideas for your wife and prevent you from being one in 144 million, we’ve assembled this list, in no particular order, of 100 small, nice things you can do for your wife or partner on February 14th, or any day, to show them that you care.

100 Small, Nice Things to Do for Your Wife on Valentine’s Day

Set your phone alarm or radio to play a song she likes when you wake up.

Send her an internet thing that you know she’ll like. Maybe it’s an .gif, cat video, or funny article ⏤ it doesn’t matter. Just something good for a small bit of happy.

Ask her if she’d like some time alone. There’s nothing more romantic than demonstrating that you’re not needy.

Warm up the car for her. It’s cold out.

Put something weird in her work bag. Could be chocolate. Could be a toy. Could be a drawing of an ocelot wearing sunglasses. The point is: she’ll find it and be amused, touched, or both.

Take out the trash. Feels like a weird thing, but it’s hard to have a special day when garbage is just laying around. Also, tidy up a bit. It makes a world of difference when it’s time for the big romantic gesture.

Warm up her towel, robe, or slippers in the dryer. That way she has something cozy to slip into when she first wakes up/gets out the shower.

Do a few extra chores around the house, and don’t point it out to her. Better yet, do the one chore she hates to do the most.

Make some quick brownies. Except make them in a muffin tin.That way, every piece is an edge piece.

Let. Her. Sleep. In. Keep the kids busy, or get them out of the house.

Send her flowers at work.

Paste her toothbrush for her when you’re both getting ready for the day. A small, sweet gesture.

Give her a back rub without making a big deal out of it. Don’t use oil, lotions, or rose petals; just get in there and go for it.

Text: “Thinking of you” at some point during the day. Follow it up an hour later with a funny aubergine-peach emoji combo or something if sexting is your thing.

Make breakfast for her. Bring it to her while she’s in bed. Coffee, too.

Make her a homemade card. Put some effort into it.

Go running with her. Or to yoga class. Or rock climbing. Whatever her exercise thing is, do it with her..

Make her a mixtape. Or a playlist if you’re not an old person. Could be songs you were listening to when you started dating, songs you both like, or one of those cool playlists where if you read every song in the tracklist it’s like a message.

Consume a piece of pop culture ⏤ show, band, song ⏤ that she loves but you’ve never seen, read, or even heard of. Bring it up later in conversation.

Leave some Post-Its for her everywhere ⏤ on the bathroom mirror, in her laptop, on the steering wheel, in her sock drawer, etc. Ideally, include compliments, memories, and a few innuendos

Tell her an embarrassing story from your childhood. Keep it light, though. Nothing too weird or sad. Tell it with some flair.

Take a bunch of dumb online personality quizzes together.

Let her throw out something of yours that she lowkey despises. Grin and bear it.

Give her a week of total control over the little things. She gets to pick movies, food, activities, whatever it is that you two do.

Make a list of things for which you’re proud of her. Don’t be vague. Choose real things. Appreciation is crucial.

Set a price range and make a dumb impulse buy together.

Vacuum underneath the couch.

Prep the baby bottles, make the kids’ lunches, do whatever morning task she usually does.

Make her a homemade card from the kids.

Buy a pack of kids Valentine’s Day cards. Give her one the best one. Hell, give her five and place them all over the house.

Clean the tub.

Put your phone in a shoe box for the night. Don’t take it out.

Look at old pictures from when you were dating or newly married. Fondly reminisce.

Post an album on Facebook or an Instagram story with a picture from each year you’ve been together.

Clean and vacuum all the kid crap from the car. The Goldfish crumbs, the fruit snacks wrappers — all of it. Make it spotless.

Dress the kids up.

Let her pick the movie (and the movie snack), whether you’re going out or staying in.

Rent her favorite movie on your computer. Let her pick the snack. Snuggle as you enjoy it on the small screen. Make out like teens afterwards.

Ask about her day. Then listen to the details. All of them. Then do the same. Share.

Make a heart-shaped memory for every month (or year) you’ve loved her. To each, add a concrete reason you love her: “For the day you gave birth to our child,” “For helping me become a better person,” “Because your booty is a masterpiece.”

Hire a masseuse to come to the house.

Meet her at the office and take her out to lunch.

Light a candle for every year you’ve loved her. She’s the light of your life. Get it?